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Who's Who - Alfred Milner

Lord Alfred Milner
(1854-1925), having already enjoyed a successful career as a colonial
administrator, was brought into
David Lloyd George's War Cabinet as Minister of War in the final seven
months of the war.

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A leading imperialist,
Milner was born on 23 March 1854 in Hesse-Darmstadt in Germany of British
and German ancestry. A notable student at Oxford he was elected a
fellow of New College in 1872. He briefly turned to practicing law in
1881 but soon chose instead a career in journalism, writing for the Pall
Mall Gazette.

In spite of his pronounced
imperialistic views Milner stood as a Liberal candidate for Parliament in
1885 - unsuccessfully - before taking up a position as private secretary to
the then-Chancellor, George Goschen.

His fame and career was
however carved in colonial appointments abroad, first in Egypt from 1889-92,
from which he emerged to write England and Egypt. After five
years as chairman of the Inland Revenue (during the course of which he was
knighted, in 1895) he was appointed High Commissioner in south Africa and
Governor of the Cape Colony in 1897.

As High Commissioner Milner
played a prominent role in bringing about war between Britain and the Boers,
taking a high hand in dealings with the Orange Free State and the Transvaal.

Refusing to compromise on
demands permitting British residents in the Transvaal full citizenship
rights after five years' residence (among other issues), Milner's
intransigence eventually led to a declaration of war from the two Boer
republics on 11 October 1899 who viewed Milner's - and Britain's - interests
with deep suspicion.

British success followed by
annexation of both former Boer republics in 1901 brought Milner a new post
as Britain's administrator for the Orange Free State and the Transvaal,
although he continued in his role as High Commissioner, negotiating the
Peace of Vereeniging with Lord Kitchener of 31 May 1902. Ultimate
success in South Africa brought Milner rewards: he was made a baron in 1901
and a viscount in 1902.

Tasked with the post-war
settlement and regeneration of South Africa, Milner brought with him to
South Africa his celebrated 'kindergarten', a group of ambitious young
administrators whose careers throve both in South Africa and in later life
(and included the young author
John Buchan). When brought into Lloyd George's War Cabinet during
World War One Milner brought back a number of these administrators to serve
among his staff.

Milner's approach to the
administration of the new South Africa continued to be divisive however.
His insistence that education be conducted solely in English served to
antagonise the Boers; even less successful (where it caused outrage at home)
was his plan to draft in Chinese labour to work the South African goldmines,
owing to a lack of necessary British labour.

Milner further suggested
that the Transvaal be permitted only a representative government rather than
granted self-rule; a recommendation that was rejected by Prime Minister
Herbert Asquith.

Returning to England in
1905 he announced his intention to retire from public life, although he
continued to air his decidedly right-wing views in the House of Lords, where
he was an active member. In 1913 he published The Nation and the
Empire.

Co-opted from private
business interests into the government in 1914 to organise coal and food
production, Lloyd George's appointment as Prime Minister in December 1916
led to Milner's elevation to the War Cabinet.

On 19 April 1918 he was
appointed Minister of War, replacing
Lord Derby.
Milner - unlike Derby but in line with Lloyd George - was an enthusiastic
advocate of the creation of an inter-allied wartime command, led by
Ferdinand Foch.

Wary of the growing
Bolshevik threat Milner came out in favour of an early peace settlement -
and thereafter intervention with anti-Bolshevik forces in Russia.

With the end of the First
World War Milner was appointed Colonial Secretary and attended the Paris
Peace Conference. Milner's subsequent recommendation that Egypt be
granted a form of independence was rejected by the Cabinet, leading to
Milner's resignation in 1921.

1923 saw Milner publish
Questions of the Hour. He died on 13 May 1925 in Kent aged 71.